Ophthalmologic Manifestations

Visual impairment may be due to SLE or to drug treatment (corticosteroids or antimalarials) or it may be a separate problem (glaucoma or retinal detachment). Blindness due to SLE occurs, but is rare. Other visual problems may occur:

A Lupus rash may develop on the eyelids

Conjunctivitis occurs in 10 percent of SLE people and is usually infectious. Kerato-conjunctivitis is usually mild

Cytoid bodies are the most common retinal change in SLE. They reflect microangiopathy of the retinal capillaries and localized microinfarction of the superficial nerve fiber layers of the retina